Musician in Residence
by Steadfast-Bright-Star
Summary: Human AU. When Ludwig rents out his spare room to earn some extra money, he doesn't expect budding opera singer Feliciano to appear on his doorstep. When disaster strikes, will Feliciano make his audition and achieve his lifelong dream of performing in the lead role at the city's opera house? Rated T for eventual GerIta.
1. Chapter 1

Ludwig's hands hovered over the keyboard as he agonised over what to write. He had never been much good with words, even when he was writing something as simple as an advert. He loved his job as a PE teacher but the pay wasn't very good and since his irritating older brother had finally moved out he had a spare room. Now he was attempting to advertise for a lodger to bring in a bit of extra money and put the empty room to good use. At length, he began to type the short notice.

_Single room available for rent, £150 pcm. No pets, no smoking, no excessive consumption of alcohol. If interested, call the following number… _Maybe people would call him something of a Luddite for not including an email address, but he liked to hear the voice of the person who was going to be sharing his flat. He found that you could learn a lot about a person from their voice. He read over the short message one more time and then clicked 'post'. He sighed to himself and shut down the computer. He didn't really expect to get any responses.

…..

The next day, during his lunch break, Ludwig switched on his phone to see if anyone had called and sure enough, there was a voicemail from an unknown number. He clicked the 'listen' button, raised the phone to his ear and almost took it away again a moment later. The voice on the other end of the line was high-pitched and irritating in the extreme. 'Hey, Feliciano here! I'm calling about the room. I'd like to rent it. When is the earliest I can come?' Ludwig pictured the room. It was scrupulously tidy, like the rest of the flat, and he didn't see any reason why this Feliciano character couldn't come straightaway. The sooner he was earning the extra money the better, after all. He dialled the number and was surprised when he received an answer immediately. 'Hi, is this about the room?' 'Yes,' Ludwig replied. 'I just wanted to say that you can come this evening, about six. I've got the room ready and everything.' Feliciano sounded relieved. 'Oh that's wonderful. I'll be there!' Ludwig was a little confused. Did he not have anywhere else to go?

Six o'clock came and went, then six-fifteen, then six-thirty. Ludwig glared at the clock as though it were somehow responsible for Feliciano's lateness, then decided that he'd best make a start on his evening's exercises. Even though he spent his whole day at work running around, he enjoyed the calming, almost hypnotic feeling of the repeated movements. It allowed him to think, something that had been almost impossible when his noisy brother was living with him. He broke the rhythm for a moment to glance at the clock again and saw that yet another fifteen minutes had passed. He had just resumed exercising when the doorbell finally rang. He muttered something about 'poor timekeeping' to himself as he went to answer it.

Ludwig's earlier perfunctory conversation with Feliciano had not at all prepared him for a meeting in the flesh. He was short and looked a little bit girly, with a mop of hair that was somewhere between ginger and brown. One curl stuck out at an alarming angle and Ludwig, a stickler for precision, had to restrain himself from smoothing it down. His physical appearance, however, was not the most alarming thing about him. He was dressed in a crumpled evening suit, the end of a bow tie just visible poking out of his breast pocket and he had two large suitcases, plus a backpack. And was that… A keyboard?

Recovering his manners just in time, Ludwig decided to introduce himself. 'Hello – you must be Feliciano. I'm Ludwig, and I own the flat, so I suppose you could say I'm your landlord.' Feliciano beamed widely. 'Hi Ludi – can I call you Ludi? It's so great to meet you! I'm sorry I'm so late but the hostel I was staying in didn't have a lift and so I had to carry everything down the stairs and then I couldn't get on the train because I had too much stuff and then I had to walk. But I'm here now.' he concluded, as though it was a remarkable achievement – considering his amount of luggage, Ludwig thought, it was. 'It's fine. I only said six as a guide. And why are you wearing a suit?' 'I didn't want it to get creased in the bag,' Feliciano explained. Ludwig refrained from commenting and gestured for him to come inside. As he led the way to the room and helped him organise his possessions, he explained a few ground rules. 'You can do pretty much whatever you want as long as it doesn't disturb people or break the law. No wild parties, no damage to my property and you have to provide your own food and do your own laundry and washing up. Fair?' Feliciano nodded enthusiastically. 'Oh, that's fine.' His face fell suddenly as something occurred to him. 'But I haven't brought any food with me. I can cook for you, though. Do you have any pasta?' Ludwig thought for a moment. 'Probably somewhere at the back of the cupboard. If you can find it, you can use it.'

'So, Ludi, what do you do all day?' Feliciano asked as the settled down to eat. There had been a packet of pasta hidden away in the crockery cupboard, of all places, and Ludwig had to admit that the dinner Feliciano had prepared looked and smelled wonderful. 'I'm a PE teacher at the primary school down the road. What about you?' He was genuinely curious. The exuberant Italian was quite unlike anyone he had ever met before. 'I've just finished training as an opera singer and I came here because the big auditions at the National Opera are starting in a month. There's a huge part up this year. Everyone will be going for it.' he said, already sounding excited at the prospect.

From there, the conversation turned to their life stories. Ludwig found out that Feliciano had lived on a farm with his grandfather and older brother before going to Venice to train, while his brother had gone to Rome to become an artist. His grandfather, it transpired, had recently died, and Feliciano had used his small inheritance to fund his travel and rent. 'I have an older brother too,' Ludwig said, pleased to have something in common with someone who was in all other respects totally different from him. 'He used to live with me but he's moved out now to form some band. You've got his old room.' Feliciano was interested by this mention of music. 'Ooh, what kind of band is it?' Ludwig grimaced. 'It's not much. I suppose you'd call it rock or death metal or angry machine or something – I don't know much about music. It's just him and a couple of his friends anyway. They call themselves the 'Bad Friends Trio' or something equally ridiculous.'

….

A few days later, Feliciano came to Ludwig with an unusual request. Since his arrival, he had mostly kept to himself, eating and doing his chores separately and making sure that his music practice was over by the time Ludwig came home, as if he felt like he'd somehow overstepped the mark in being so friendly on his first day. Today, however, he had come out of his shell. 'Ludwig,' he said softly, poking his head into the living room where Ludwig was reading. He looked up from his book. 'Do you play the piano?' Feliciano asked him, sounding unaccountably terrified. Ludwig paused for a moment, as half-remembered lessons came back to him – the tangle of notes and lines on the page, the Italian words that instructed him what emotions the piece was supposed to convey. His strongest memory was the desire to be playing football instead. Eventually, he answered, 'I do play, but not very well. Why?' Feliciano took a hesitant step into the room. 'I- I –Could you maybe play for me while I sing, just once, so I can see what it'll be like with an accompanist – you know, at the audition?' Ludwig tried not to sigh. He had just been getting to a really good part in his book, but Feliciano had asked so sweetly that it was impossible to refuse without being unnecessarily unkind. 'Alright then.' he said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Once he was sitting at the small chair that Feliciano had drawn up to the keyboard, Ludwig took a moment to scrutinise the music score for the aria. The notation seemed simple enough, and he decided that it was fairly safe to ignore any terms he didn't know. 'Where do you want me to start from?' he asked Feliciano. 'Go from the third-from-last bar.' was his response, and Ludwig noticed that his usual silliness disappeared when it came to music, which was clearly his art and his passion. Taking a breath, Ludwig began to play and when Feliciano's voice joined his accompaniment, he was so amazed that he almost stopped playing. Even to his uneducated ear, Feliciano's bright tenor sounded incredible, with a freshness that sounded like it had just broken coupled with a strength and skill that only came after years of rigorous training. When the song finished, Ludwig felt like he was waking from a dream but was swiftly brought to his senses by Feliciano tapping a pencil against the music stand.

'Ludwig! There was no emotion there – none! Didn't you see there, where it said _dolce_? That means sweet. It's supposed to be romantic. It's the last aria of the night, the one where he pledges his undying love!' Ludwig tried not to feel annoyed. He had tried his best, but it was true that his playing had sounded somewhat sterile. Emotions were not his strong point, whether in life or in music. 'I'm sorry,' he said sincerely. 'I was never much good at playing and to be honest I don't understand half of these musical terms.' Feliciano looked chastened. 'I'm sorry too. It's just like my grandpa used to say – I love music so much that I sometimes forget that it's not such a big deal for everyone else. But thank you for trying. It was useful to not have to play. I could focus on singing a lot more.' Figuring he was dismissed, Ludwig left the room. He had wanted to compliment Feliciano on his wonderful talent but somehow he couldn't find words to do it justice and he ended up cursing himself for his lack of eloquence. There and then, he vowed to find out more about opera.

….

'Hey Tino, do you have a spare moment?' The cheerful Finnish music teacher looked up at the sound of Ludwig's voice, momentarily distracted from the tambourines he was clearing up, the debris of a Year 2 lesson. 'Certainly,' he replied. 'I don't normally see you around here. Is Peter in trouble again? I did tell him not to bully the other players in football.' Ludwig shook his head. 'No, he's fine. But I have a question for you. Could you tell me some really simple things about opera?' Tino gave him a quizzical look. 'Are you trying to impress someone?' he asked with a playful wink. 'Yes… No! It's complicated. Basically, I have a new lodger and he's an opera singer. Yesterday, he got me to accompany him but I played it all wrong and now I want to redeem myself by looking like I actually know something about opera.'

Tino thought for a moment. 'Well, to put it very simply, it's like a play where you sing absolutely everything, even when you'd normally be talking. The stories are pretty much always romantic and the people with high voices are usually good guys and the people with low voices are usually bad guys, although there are some exceptions. Most operas are in Italian but some are in French or German and they sometimes get translated. Emotion is very important because otherwise all the singing gets boring, so you have to be a pretty good actor as well as a singer.' He stopped short. 'And that's your potted guide. I recommend that you listen to a few clips to see how it's done.' Ludwig's mind was reeling from all the new information as he thanked Tino and went out. He felt uncharacteristically excited and couldn't wait to impress Feliciano with his newfound expertise.

….

**Author's Note: Yes, I've started a new story – I just can't stop!** **And who doesn't love a little bit of GerIta? For anyone who was expecting Austria to be the music teacher, I promise he'll have a part later on – I just think that Finland would be such a good teacher! I try to update every day, but I'm on holiday so my Internet access is a bit hit-and-miss at the moment. Once I get home everything will be a little more regular, I promise.**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

When Ludwig got home that evening, Feliciano was out shopping but the door to his room was open, giving a tantalising glimpse of the keyboard. Ludwig hesitated in the hallway, uncertain about trespassing in Feliciano's private space but also desperate to have another go at playing the aria, properly this time. It would be a wonderful surprise for Feliciano when he came home, he thought, then just as quickly batted the idea away. 'What's wrong with you?' he asked himself. 'He's just a lodger. Why are you so keen to impress him?' These flights of musical fancy were disrupting the usually meticulous order of his feelings. Nevertheless, he decided that it couldn't hurt to have a try, for himself as much as anyone else, and went into the room.

He frowned at the score sheet, paying closer attention than he had the previous day and found himself smiling at the mass of handwritten annotations that Feliciano had added. Turning his focus to the printed part, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly searched the musical terms with which he was unfamiliar, writing their translations underneath as he found them out. Having done this, he slowly began to play through, remembering what Tino had said about the music needing to be full of emotion. This train of thought led him to the other recommendation, and he quickly got his phone out again to listen to the aria. The singer in the version Ludwig listened to sounded good and received plenty of applause but he decided that he preferred Feliciano's voice. Then again, he had no real way of judging which was the better performance, beyond his own uninformed opinion.

So absorbed was Ludwig in his task that he didn't hear Feliciano come home about an hour later. He had approached his goal to play properly like a sort of military operation, forcing himself to start again every time he played a wrong note, and his expression of ferocious concentration never left his face for an instant. He only looked up when Feliciano entered the room. 'Oh hey, Ludi,' he said tentatively. Ludwig immediately stood up. He was blushing, although he had no idea why. 'Sorry about invading your room. I was just practising that piece to see if I could make it sound any better. I learnt a bit about opera today, so I was just applying the idea.' Feliciano's nervous expression changed to a broad smile. 'That's so cool! I heard some of it as I was coming in and it sounded really good!' He stopped for a moment, thinking. 'I'll just go and put my shopping away and then maybe we could practice together.' Ludwig winced at the memory of the last time Feliciano had 'put away' his shopping, everything thrown carelessly into the fridge or cupboards in complete disregard of the careful system that Ludwig followed to maximise space and order. 'Um… No, I'll do it for you. You can sing some scales or whatever you do.' Feliciano looked delighted. 'Thank you Ludi! That's so sweet!' Ludwig went into the kitchen, wondering whether the chirpy Italian ended every single one of his sentences with an exclamation mark.

There wasn't very much shopping, so it didn't take very long for everything to be put away. Ludwig counted six different types of pasta, flour that was presumably for pizzas, tomatoes, garlic, onions and several Italian cheeses that he had never heard of. It made his own diet of German sausages and salad, necessary for keeping fit, look almost boring by comparison. He also couldn't help noticing that all of Feliciano's purchases were cheap, own-brand affairs and remembered that his inheritance was not substantial. Ludwig, ever the practical one, sincerely hoped that Feliciano had some sort of sensible financial plan in case he didn't get the big part but, judging by what he had seen of him so far, that seemed unlikely. He stacked the last of the packets of pasta on top of the others and called down the hall. 'I'll be in in a minute!'

It was only once they had gone through the aria three times and Feliciano had praised his vastly improved playing that Ludwig realised something rather embarrassing. He didn't have the slightest idea of what the lyrics actually meant. He was worried that Feliciano would laugh at him if he asked but instead he was delighted at the opportunity to share his passion with someone. 'Oh, the words are really beautiful!' he said eagerly. 'Look here, this is my favourite part. He picks a flower and he says '_Let words of love bloom from your blossomy mouth like the perfume blooms from this flower and I will return them as many times as there are flowers in the world_.' Isn't that just dreamy?' _Did he just say 'dreamy'?_ Ludwig thought. He wasn't much of a romantic, and the poetry that was currently sending Feliciano into such raptures left him cold. He had always preferred plain speech to elaborate metaphors, particularly if those metaphors involved anything to do with stars, hearts, flowers or anything like that. However he didn't want to disappoint Feliciano. For some reason, he found it impossible to be short or impatient with him, perhaps because he seemed so innocently optimistic, and so he managed to say, 'Yes, it's a very creative description. And you sing it so well. You put so much feeling into it.'

Feliciano coloured slightly. 'Thank you. And didn't you say you learnt something about opera today?' Now it was Ludwig's turn to go red. 'Well, it was hardly anything really. A guy at work just told me a few things.' 'Like what?' Feliciano prompted him, and Ludwig repeated what Tino had told him, uncomfortably aware that what had sounded friendly when the easygoing Finn had said it sounded mocking in his more serious voice. Feliciano laughed. 'That's cool! You got everything important!' Ludwig couldn't help smiling at that, then slipped out of the room, slightly annoyed that he was going to be later than usual in beginning his evening exercises. As it happened, they were cut short at any rate by his phone ringing. He looked at the caller ID and heaved an explosive sigh. It was his brother.

'Yes, Gilbert, what do you want?' he began, feeling exhausted before his brother had even said anything. 'I love you too, bro,' was Gilbert's fake-hurt reply. 'Seriously though, man, you've changed. When we were kids you were always up for a bit of awesome fun.' There was a pause as Gilbert heard Feliciano singing loudly in the background. 'Hey, who's your friend?' 'He's not my friend, he's my lodger,' Ludwig answered impatiently. 'He's an opera singer practising for an audition.' Gilbert laughed. 'Kesesese! I'm a singer too! Maybe I should go to this audition.' Ludwig rolled his eyes, not caring if Gilbert couldn't see him. 'You sing in the shower and when you're drunk. Feliciano has trained his voice for years. There's really no comparison.' Gilbert just laughed louder. 'Ooh! Getting on the defensive, are we? Sounds like baby brother might have a little itty-bitty crush!' he teased in a whiny, sing-song baby voice. 'Shut up!' Ludwig growled, before hanging up. A few seconds later, his phone buzzed with an incoming text. 'Hey bro,' he read. 'Since you stopped our awesome conversation so rudely, I'll just tell you that I'm coming round on Saturday to chill with you. Don't try to get out of it because I'm bringing beer.' Ludwig typed an angry reply. 'Come if you have to but don't bring your stupid friends. And you know I don't drink anymore, so you can keep your beer to yourself.' Once this was done, he realised he'd best tell Feliciano about the unwelcome visit.

'Hey, Feliciano' he said, causing him to stop singing and look over at him. 'Just to let you know, my brother's coming on Saturday.' 'Oh, I'll go out then,' Feliciano replied. 'No, no. You don't have to go away but I was just giving you a heads-up since he can be quite… overbearing.' Feliciano smiled. 'I'd love to meet him. I always say that every stranger is just a new friend!' Ludwig mentally facepalmed. 'Yes, well, you might change your opinion after meeting him,' he said as he left the room.

….

'Hey bro! Bro! Open the door, 'cos the awesome me is here!' Ludwig walked to the door as slowly as if he was going to his execution. Gilbert's visits were always long, tiresome and a waste of time that he could, and should, have been spending on lesson plans. He wrenched it open to see his irritating brother standing there with a bottle of beer, wearing a T-shirt with _Bad Friends Trio _splashed across the front in red capital letters. He tried to hug Ludwig, who stepped back just in time. 'So where's the opera star? I want to hear him!' Ludwig blushed, since Feliciano was just a few feet away. 'You have to get introduced first,' he hissed, feeling a sudden surge of protectiveness towards the small redhead. 'Then he'll sing for you if he wants to, but you can't go around demanding a performance like that.'

At this point, Feliciano, who had stopped singing when Gilbert arrived, poked his head around the door of his room. 'Hi there! You must be Ludi's brother – sorry, I don't know your name. I'm Feliciano and I'll perform if you want! Ludi, will you play for me?' Gilbert smirked at the nickname. 'So it's 'Ludi' now, is it?' he teased. 'He's just being nice,' Ludwig muttered in response. He couldn't feel angry at Feliciano, since he'd never objected to the name and had secretly thought it was cute. Without another word, he walked into Feliciano's room and sat down at the keyboard chair while Gilbert stood in the doorway. 'Are you ready?' he asked the eager Italian, although he could see that he was already standing in the customary classical singing position, feet slightly apart and arms by his sides. Feliciano nodded and Ludwig began to play their customary introduction, allowing himself a small smile when Feliciano joined him, his voice soaring over the accompaniment and painting a delicate picture of love, his emotions colouring the words and imbuing them with a special quality.

'Wow! That was truly awesome!' exclaimed Gilbert, the moment the last notes had died away. He reached up and high-fived a slightly breathless Feliciano, who seemed delighted by the compliment. Ludwig offered a silent prayer that the two wouldn't become friends, but they were already chatting. Feliciano pointed at Gilbert's T-shirt, slightly confused. 'That's your band, isn't it?' 'Sure is, and it's the best band in the world!' Feliciano frowned a little. 'Usually people wear T-shirts if they like the band, not if they're in it.' he said. Gilbert flushed – only slightly, but the colour was particularly vivid on his albino cheeks. 'Well, we ordered one or two too many and our fans…' 'Don't exist.' Ludwig finished for him. 'And I need to talk to you for a minute.' He led a bewildered Gilbert through to the living room.

'Gil,' he began once they were sitting in their usual chairs from their days of living together. 'I don't want you to be… misinformed about me and Feliciano. He's just a friend – no, not even that. He just rents the room from me.' Ludwig felt terribly uncomfortable talking about love with his idiotic brother. He'd always been the quietly hardworking one, whereas Gilbert, despite sometimes getting bullied since he was an albino, seemed to treat life like it was a huge adventure playground set up purely for his own amusement. 'Well, you seemed totally 'just friends' when you were making music together,' Gilbert replied with a lascivious wink, causing Ludwig to lose his short temper. 'Shut up, Gilbert! I only played for him because he asked me to. It's a practical thing. He can't possibly concentrate on singing if he has to be at the piano as well.' Gilbert rolled his eyes at him. 'Oh, sure. I can't wait to tell Francis and Antonio that you totally don't fancy an opera singer. You don't even know anything about opera.'

'Neither do you Gilbert, and I've actually taken the time to find out some things about opera, which is more than you'd do even if you did like someone.' Gilbert giggled, a thought having just occurred to him. 'Kesesese! Well, bro, if you're too shy to confess, I could go and tell him myself.' He got up before Ludwig could stop him and sauntered down the hallway. 'Hey Feliciano,' he called in a stupid falsetto voice which made the Italian laugh. Ludwig clenched his fists and hoped that Gilbert wouldn't really be that foolish. 'Do you want some of my beer?' Gilbert asked. When Feliciano said no, he returned to the living room with a triumphant smile on his face and playfully punched Ludwig on the arm. 'Ow, man! Your muscles are so hard they hurt! Anyway, did you really think I'd take away the honour of declaring your love? No, the awesome thing for you to do would be to do it properly with flowers and stuff.' Ludwig suddenly realised something. 'Hey, Gilbert, don't you have band practice on Saturday?' Gilbert cursed and jumped up. 'Dammit! I knew I was forgetting something. I'll see you _both _some other time,' he said as he went out, placing knowing emphasis on the word 'both'.

…..

**Author's Note: So Ludwig's denying his feelings? We'll see how long he can keep that up! Thank you all for reviewing, favouriting and following – I've never got five followers after just one chapter before!**


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later, Ludwig was accompanying Feliciano again. It had become a sort of ritual for them to practise together each day and Ludwig was beginning to expand his repertoire to include several other arias. He was feeling his lack of musical knowledge keenly on this particular occasion, as Feliciano seemed horrified that he had never heard of _Voi Che Sapete_. 'But Ludi, it's so famous! It's this boy singing about being in love but he's not sure what love feels like so he asks these two ladies who know. See, in this bit he's saying how it's impossible to explain because it's new to him and he doesn't really understand it and in this other bit he says how he's all over the place – one minute he's on fire, but the next he turns to ice!' Ludwig sighed inwardly. He really didn't see how Feliciano could get so excited about a few hackneyed lines of poetry, even if the song did sound nice. Still, he decided to humour him a little further. 'What does this part mean?' he asked, pointing to the next verse. 'That's where he talks about the way that when you're in love, it feels good but bad at the same time. Have you ever been in love, Ludi?'

Ludwig was so startled by the unexpected personal question that he found himself blurting out an answer, despite his natural reserve. 'Yes. No. There was this one guy… Not really.' he concluded lamely, looking fixedly away from Feliciano's inquisitive eyes. However, the redhead seemed not to have noticed his discomfort, lost as he was in a romantic dream of his own. 'I haven't really been in love either but I'm still hoping. I've always thought that I'll know straightaway when I see him, that he'll be special somehow.' Ludwig didn't believe in love at first sight but couldn't bring himself to rain on Feliciano's parade, so he contented himself with saying, 'Well, you've got plenty of time to find the right person.' The conversation had made him think. He had never previously had much interest in love, finding his own company to be enough, but now he wondered whether it might be nice to have someone to talk to and relax with. He shook his head firmly to dispel the idle thoughts and started making his Spartan dinner that consisted only of salad.

When Feliciano unexpectedly joined him at the table, eating a bowl of cold pasta he'd made the previous day, Ludwig couldn't help noticing the very slight swell to his stomach. 'All those carbs must be bad for you,' he said and Feliciano looked down, seeming to notice his growing figure for the first time. 'Oh no! You're right! It's just that pasta is so delicious and I can't stop eating it and…' he paused as a thought came to him. 'You eat potatoes all the time, and potatoes are carbs, so how come you stay so fit?' 'I go for a run every day after eating. You should come with me. You need to get outside a bit more anyway.' Feliciano visibly brightened. 'Oh wow! That sounds so much fun! When can we go?' Ludwig almost smiled at his excitement, although it didn't take much to get Feliciano excited. 'In about ten minutes. And put on shorts and a T-shirt.' As Ludwig filled up two water bottles, he realised that no-one had ever gone on his run with him before. 'I hope he doesn't slow me down too much.' he said to himself.

'Can we… stop… for just a… minute? Please?' Feliciano was scarlet-faced, breathless and already sweating profusely. Ludwig sighed in exasperation. 'We've only been running for ten minutes. What's wrong with you?' he said, but couldn't help taking pity on Feliciano. 'We'll go for another ten minutes and then you can stop for a moment. You seriously need to build up your stamina.' Looking at Feliciano, he realised that it was no wonder he couldn't keep up. His limbs were like twigs, without the slightest hint of muscle anywhere. Ludwig noted with a hint of affection that not even a thick sweatband could prevent the unruly curl from sticking out. He started to run again, a little more slowly this time, to give Feliciano a chance to catch up. When another ten minutes of his whining complaints had passed, Ludwig finally allowed him to stop for a couple of minutes. 'This is a lot harder than singing!' he complained as he collapsed onto a bench. Ludwig sat down beside him, deciding that now was a good time to ask a question that had intrigued him.

'Feliciano, why did you want to become a singer?' he asked. Feliciano smiled, pleased to be able to share his story. 'I used to sing all the time when I was little. Just nursery rhymes at first, then I joined the choir when I started school. I loved it so much that my grandfather paid for me to get lessons, and my teacher said I should consider a musical career.' He laughed to himself. 'It's quite funny actually – my voice broke right in the middle of a song! I wasn't sure what to do, so I went on until the end. People were laughing at me so my grandfather made me my favourite pasta when I got home. Then when I finished school, I decided to follow my dream and be an opera singer. Venice was so awesome – pasta and music and pizza and more music. The pasta was amazing. But why did you want to be a PE teacher?'

Ludwig thought for a moment. People never really asked him about that sort of thing, and he found himself having to remember the reason. At length he said, 'I always liked sport when I was at school and I was very good at it. I got scouted by a couple of teams but I never wanted to be a professional sportsman – there's not enough privacy and I don't need all that ridiculous money that they get. When I was a teenager I would volunteer at football training for children and I liked it, so I decided to do it professionally.' He looked at the ground. Sharing personal details, no matter how mundane, always made him uncomfortable. Feliciano, however, seemed interested. 'That's cool! It's really sweet how you wanted to do something for others!' Ludwig smiled at the compliment, then looked at his watch. He stood up, gesturing for Feliciano to do the same. 'Come on. You've had enough time to rest. I want you to sprint for the next thirty seconds!'

…

'Ludi… Ludi… Where are you?' Ludwig looked up from his scrupulously tidy desk at the sound of Feliciano's voice. 'What is it?' he called out, impatient to get back to his lesson plans. 'I'm busy.' He heard Feliciano's small feet getting closer, then a creak as he pushed the door open. 'Can I ask you something?' 'Alright, but make it quick.' was Ludwig's grudging reply. 'Umm… I was just wondering if you'd like to come and see an opera with me?' Ludwig instantly forgot about his work. 'What?' Feliciano looked frightened, as if he thought he would be killed for making such a suggestion. 'It's just that I wanted to see the opera house where I'll be auditioning and see the chorus and the orchestra in action. I can go alone, I just thought you might be interested.' Something about the idea of Feliciano going to an opera all by himself, unable to share his enthusiasm with anyone, made Ludwig feel weirdly sad. 'Ok, I'll come with you. When is it?' Feliciano visibly cheered up. 'It's Saturday night. Oh, and I almost forgot – it's _The Marriage of Figaro_, so you'll get to hear _Voi Che Sapete _in style!'

Ludwig was already reaching for his diary, and was relieved to find that the page for Saturday was blank, apart from a reminder to himself to go for a run in the morning. 'I'll pay for my own ticket, of course,' he said dutifully. 'And you'll have to tell me what to wear and everything else – I've never seen an opera before.' Feliciano was already excited, hopping from foot to foot. 'Oh, it's not as buttoned-up as people think it is. You have to wear something nice but not a suit or anything. I can't wait! I'm so glad you're coming with me, Ludi! It would be so boring if I had to go all by myself.' Ludwig cleared his throat and conspicuously shuffled a few bits of paper. 'Oh right, you're working. Sorry to interrupt. I'll go and order the tickets now. The website lets you pick seats, so I'll try to get two together.' He walked off down the hall, singing to himself and leaving Ludwig unable to wipe an uncharacteristically wide smile off his face.

….

Saturday evening came at last, with Feliciano eagerly counting down the days until it did and never failing to remind Ludwig. 'Today's the day!' he had squealed that morning, causing Ludwig to almost drop his cereal bowl. He was now singing through what sounded like the entire score of the opera while Ludwig tried to pick his outfit. As he reached into his wardrobe to retrieve a belt, his hand grazed against something, and immediately a memory flooded back. He withdrew the iron cross necklace, his free hand almost unconsciously going to the identical one he always wore.

'_Grandfather, I don't understand – why are you giving me two? They're both the same.' 'One of them is for you, but the other is for you to give to your true love. You can only give it away once, so choose wisely.'_

Ludwig blinked hard several times to clear his mind. The memory had awoken all sorts of unwelcome feelings and he tossed the necklace back into the wardrobe without giving it another glance. He decided to focus on getting dressed in a pair of jeans with a white shirt and black blazer, then went to fix his hair. It was always perfectly slicked back, but an extra layer couldn't hurt, particularly since the weather was so bad. Once this was done, he knocked on Feliciano's door. 'Are you ready?' he asked. 'I'll be out in a minute.' was the reply.

A little while later, the two of them headed out to catch the train. Feliciano was chattering brightly, giving Ludwig an extremely detailed plot summary along with a potted biography of Mozart. He seized Ludwig's arm. 'Are you excited?' he demanded, his voice even more high-pitched than usual, a sure sign of his excitement. 'Excited isn't really the word. I suppose I'm interested, since this is a new thing for me.' If Feliciano was disappointed by this ambivalent response, he didn't show it and immediately resumed his monologue, pausing only to ask Ludwig if they could buy a programme and then an ice cream in the interval. When they got to the station, he asked if he could get a window seat, then skipped on board as soon as the train arrived. Ludwig couldn't help but get caught up in his excitement, which proved infectious.

At the opera house, Ludwig was surprised to see quite a diverse crowd milling around – he had previously assumed that it would be the preserve of the old and the rich. Feliciano looked at his phone. 'Oh, it's later than I thought – the show's starting in ten minutes! Will you get the programme if I find the seats?' Ludwig nodded, then forced his way through the crowd to the programme stand. Once he got to the auditorium, programme in hand, he sighed to himself. It was huge and extremely crowded, and he couldn't see Feliciano anywhere. He looked down at his ticket, which informed him that he was supposed to be sitting in row 32, seat L. The nearest seat to him was marked row 60, so he went downwards, scanning the sea of faces for Feliciano.

'Ludi! Ludi! Over here!' Feliciano's shrill voice cut through the quiet conversations going on and caused several heads to turn. Ludwig blushed at the attention but was relieved to have found the Italian and headed over to him. Feliciano patted the seat next to him and Ludwig sat down in it. Ludwig was spared listening to another one-sided conversation as just at that moment, the curtain went up and he felt Feliciano suddenly sit up straight, giving his full attention to something at last.

The first act was interesting enough, and Ludwig found that Feliciano's description of the plot helped him follow the action along, although he found his mind drifting during some of the longer recitatives. When the second act began, Feliciano nudged him. 'Our song will be on in a minute!' he whispered, holding onto his arm again. Sure enough, a few moments later, Ludwig turned his attention to the stage as the familiar opening notes of _Voi Che Sapete _began to play. He found himself listening to the words with more than his usual interest, and thinking about them. What did love feel like, anyway? According to the song, it could feel wonderful one minute and yet the next be a torment. You could feel on fire one minute then shivering the next. Nothing seemed to quite accurately describe what existed between him and Feliciano. He had certainly exceeded mere 'lodger' status – after all, they were at the opera together, but he didn't seem quite like a friend. He would never let a friend grab his arm, for one thing, nor would he feel like protecting them the way he wanted to protect Feliciano. The redhead was always in a good mood, but Ludwig knew that it would make him feel awful if he wasn't. He couldn't possibly be in love, could he? Or maybe Gilbert was occasionally right about these things.

The end of the aria provided a much needed distraction from his thoughts when Feliciano nudged him again and Ludwig, when he turned to look at him, was surprised to see that his light brown eyes were shiny with tears. 'That was beautiful!' he whispered, unaware of the irritated glances of people around. 'It just means so much to me!' Ludwig just nodded, not wanting to draw any more attention.

When the interval eventually rolled around, Ludwig got up to buy ice creams, leaving Feliciano to read the programme. When he came back, he found him staring enraptured at a page in it. 'Look, Ludi! That's him, the man who'll choose who gets the part!' He pointed to a photo that depicted a dark-haired young man with glasses. Underneath was written 'Roderich Edelstein, Senior Artistic Director'. 'I hope I can impress him,' Feliciano said, a little wistfully, then perked up as Ludwig handed him the small tub of ice cream. 'I'm sure you'll do well. From what I've heard, you have a talent.' There it was again, Ludwig thought, the strange desire to make him happy. Once more, the raising of the curtain put paid to any further conversation.

'… And my favourite part was the bit where he sang _Voi Che Sapete_! What was your favourite part, Ludi?' Ludwig had no idea, having spent the whole third act thinking of other things. 'Umm… I guess that was my favourite part too. But all the singers were very good.' he added hastily, wanting to seem like he had enjoyed it. Feliciano stifled a huge yawn. 'I'm really tired,' he complained. 'I might sleep on the train.' And indeed, once they were on the train, he laid his head on Ludwig's shoulder and dropped off almost immediately. The movement of the train was quite jolting, and Ludwig found himself having to put an arm around him to stop him from falling out of his seat. When they reached their stop, he could scarcely bring himself to wake him. 'Feliciano, you need to wake up now… We're home.' he said, gently shaking him. Feliciano opened one eye and yawned again. 'That journey went really quickly!' Ludwig smiled. 'Well, you were asleep the whole time. Come on, let's go.'

The night was bitterly cold and it had rained while they were in the opera house, forming large puddles all over the street and in the gutters. As they walked along, a car drove by at high speed, throwing up a spray of water that absolutely drenched Feliciano, who promptly began to cry. 'I'm soaked! And I was having such a nice time until now!' Ludwig, not wanting him to be upset, took off his jacket and draped it over his narrow shoulders. 'There, that should keep you warm. You don't want to get sick, not with your audition in a week.' Feliciano nodded. 'Yeah, that would just be the worst thing ever.'

…

**Author's Note: This chapter was just a modicum longer than usual! There may not be any Internet where I'm going tomorrow but I'll do my damnedest to update and I'll keep on writing regardless, so if I don't manage to update, you'll have more than one new chapter to compensate on Friday evening.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I forgot to include this at the end of chapter 3, but I highly recommend the piece **_**Voi Che Sapete**_**. It's beautiful and if you enjoy opera then it's easy to sing as well. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

…..

When Ludwig came home on Monday afternoon, he realised immediately that something was not right. The flat was silent when he came in, but it was a different sort of silence from usual – not a light, bated-breath one that came between pieces of music, but a heavy, suffocating one that only came if allowed to lie undisturbed. He stepped cautiously inside, not knowing what to expect. 'Feliciano?' he called out. 'I'm in my room,' came the quiet reply. 'You can come in.' Ludwig pushed the door open, wondering what was wrong.

To his horror, he saw a miserable-looking Feliciano curled up in bed, surrounded by discarded tissues. 'Ludi,' he said in a hoarse voice. 'I think I'm sick.' Ludwig was concerned. 'Yes, I think you are too. How long have you been feeling like this?' Feliciano struggled to sit up, pausing as he did so to cough. 'I was ok when I woke up this morning but when I started singing I got a headache and my throat got really sore after a little bit so I stopped. Then I felt really tired so I went to bed.' Now Ludwig was really worried. A sore throat coupled with an audition on Friday spelt disaster for poor Feliciano. However, he was careful not to let any trace of his worry show on his face. 'Have you eaten anything?' he asked gently. Feliciano shook his head, then scrunched up his eyes at the pain it caused him. 'No, and I don't want to. I feel sick.' 'Well, if you do get hungry, just tell me.' he said, leaving the room.

Later that evening, Ludwig was in the middle of writing some reports when Gilbert called him. 'Hey bro, what's up?' Ludwig winced and held the phone a safe distance from his ear. 'Quite a lot, actually. I'm trying to get a pile of reports done and Feliciano's sick. His audition's on Friday and I'm really worried that he won't be able to go.' The anxiety in Ludwig's normally firm voice was enough to bring Gilbert to a moment of rare seriousness. 'Aw, that's so un-awesome. I hope he gets better soon.' He perked up. 'Hey, do you still totally not have a crush on him?' Ludwig shifted in his seat, unsure of how much it was safe to divulge to his gossipy brother. 'I think I might be getting to like him,' he admitted, glad that Gilbert couldn't see him blushing. 'Are you going to give him your cross necklace?' he asked, without a trace of his usual mocking tone. 'I don't know. Not yet, anyway. It's too early to tell.' He paused. Feliciano was calling his name. 'I've got to go now, Gil. If you still want to talk, call me later.' He hung up, then went to see what the matter was.

'Ludi, could you make me some pasta?' Feliciano asked in a weak, scratchy voice. 'I'm a bit hungry now.' Ludwig hesitated. He had no idea of how to make pasta. 'I'll try my best,' he said at length. 'But it won't be much good.' Feliciano didn't answer, having already curled up again under his mountain of blankets. Once in the kitchen, Ludwig assembled the necessary ingredients and then looked at them with mounting despair. He mentally scrolled through a list of things that needed to be done. Boil the pasta – yes, he could do that, since it was just like boiling potatoes; fry onions and garlic – again, easy enough. But what was next? Make the sauce, something he was completely mystified by. It was too late for that, though: the pasta, garlic and onions were already cooking. Fortunately, at that moment, he had an idea. He would melt butter all over the pasta, grate large amounts of cheese on it to disguise the lack of sauce and hope for the best. Feliciano probably wouldn't be able to eat much anyway.

When all this was done, he carried the bowl through to Feliciano's room, only to find that he was already asleep. If it had been anyone else, Ludwig realised, he would have felt angry that all his work had been pointless but with Feliciano he felt only concern. He knew that the redhead hadn't eaten nearly enough that day, and so he shook him awake. 'I made you some pasta, like you asked,' he said softly, not wanting to make Feliciano's headache any worse. He sat up slowly, putting a hand to his burning throat as he did so. 'Thank you, Ludi,' he said with a trace of his old smile. Ludwig smiled comfortingly, then went out. 'I'll come back for the bowl in a little while. Just eat as much as you can – you don't have to finish it all.' Sure enough, when he returned, Feliciano had only consumed a few mouthfuls. 'I'm sorry,' he said faintly. 'It was really nice, I just didn't want to be sick.' On impulse, Ludwig reached out and stroked his hair in a gesture of comfort. 'Don't worry. The important thing is that you ate something.'

The next day at work, Ludwig was constantly distracted by thoughts of Feliciano. He hadn't been any worse than before when he had left, and he couldn't really have stayed at home with him anyway. At lunch, Tino came up to him. 'How's your singer doing?' he asked eagerly. Ludwig sighed and ran a hand through his immaculate hair. 'Well, his audition is meant to be on Friday but he's quite sick. He's got a sore throat and everything, so I don't think he'll be able to go.' Tino gasped in horror. 'Oh, the poor thing! I hope he gets better soon.' He shook his head. 'It's such a shame. Well, send him my best wishes.' He walked off, still shaking his head at the idea of Feliciano missing out on this golden opportunity and leaving Ludwig even more worried than before.

On the way home, an unpleasant thought struck him. He knew that Feliciano didn't have much money and he wasn't earning any more. He had pinned all his hopes on a part that he was probably not going to get and Ludwig had no idea what would happen next. He couldn't just throw him out once he couldn't pay the rent, but nor could he let him stay out of pity. He was far from rich himself. At length, he decided that there was nothing he could do until Feliciano had at least recovered. Until then, he would take care of him as best he could. Ludwig was still musing on these things when he passed the corner shop and impulsively decided to buy something nice for Feliciano, just to cheer him up. He took a while to choose, eventually picking out a classical music magazine and a bag of Jelly Babies, which judging by the contents of the bin were his favourite sweets.

'Feliciano, I'm home.' No answer. Ludwig called again but again Feliciano said nothing. He walked over to the Italian's bedroom door, then stopped suddenly as he heard muffled crying from inside. He debated for a moment whether to enter or not, then realised that he should at least ask what was wrong. He opened the door slowly, giving Feliciano plenty of time to object if necessary. Ludwig saw that he was lying facing the wall, a scrunched-up tissue in his hand, but he was making no move to wipe away his tears. 'Feliciano,' he said, trying to lower his normally loud voice. 'What's wrong?' Feliciano turned his tear-stained face to him and gave a little sniff. 'Ludi, I'm really scared. I'm probably not going to be able to go to the audition but I'm nearly all out of money and I was so excited about being a singer. I don't have any friends and my brother doesn't have any money either since he's an artist and I don't know what to do!'

He burst into sudden convulsive sobs and Ludwig, not knowing what else to do, put his arms around him and tried to think of something he could say to make things better. 'You never know. You might manage to get to the audition and I'd never just throw you out onto the street anyway. There are lots of jobs around here. If you don't get the part, you could stay and work here and try again next year.' Feliciano seemed to recover slightly at this reassurance and managed to stop crying. 'Ludi, you're so kind. I tried to think of plans earlier but my head hurt too much and I was too hot. I tried your headache pills but they didn't really work. Do you think I'll have to go to the hospital?' Ludwig hadn't really thought of that. 'No, probably not. This is just one of those things that burns itself out after a few days. I suppose it's because that car splashed you the other night.' Feliciano nodded sadly. 'I wish I hadn't gone to see that opera, even if it was good fun,' he said ruefully. 'Then none of this would have happened.' He sank into a despondent silence, prompting Ludwig to produce the bag containing his gifts. 'Here. These should make you feel a bit better. I'm just going to get some work done. Call if you need anything.' He paused, realising that Feliciano's weakened voice wasn't really up to the task. Instead, he took out the whistle he used to referee the mad games he organised at work. 'Actually, save your voice. Blow this instead of calling me. I'll bring you in some food later, so try to eat a little bit when I do. I know it makes you feel sick, but you need to keep your strength up.'

A few hours later, once Feliciano had choked down a few mouthfuls of pasta, Ludwig was trying to organise a football tournament so that all the good players weren't on the same team. He had just finished when he heard the faint blast of the whistle and went to Feliciano's room to find out what was wrong. Feliciano looked to be in a bad way. His cheeks were hot and red and his hair damp with sweat but he was shivering and complained to Ludwig that he was cold as soon as he walked in. 'Ludi,' he said weakly. 'Could you maybe stay with me tonight, just for a little bit? Just until I fall asleep?' Ludwig felt a surge of – what? – as he looked down at him. Not pity, not sadness, not mere protectiveness. Surely it wasn't love? In any case, he couldn't possibly leave him alone. He pulled the chair from by the keyboard and sat down beside the bed. 'Of course I'll stay with you,' he said soothingly.

Feliciano took a long time to fall asleep, despite his exhaustion. Ludwig found himself holding his small, damp hand as he moved about in a fever-induced delirium. He occasionally said things out loud but his mouth was constantly moving and his eyes flicked back and forth under their lids. In one lucid moment, he turned to Ludwig and asked him, 'Ludi, why can't I go to sleep? I just want to go to sleep, then you can sleep too.' Ludwig smoothed his reddish hair back from where it had fallen over his eye. 'You can't sleep because you keep thinking about things. If you clear your mind then it's easier.' 'You're so nice to me, Ludi,' Feliciano said softly, sounding sleepy already. 'I think you're really sweet.' he concluded, before curling up and finally dropping off.

Ludwig stayed even after Feliciano had fallen asleep, still holding his hand. At first, he seemed to be in the grip of some violent dream but after a while he slept more peacefully, although his cheeks were still marked by bright roses of fever and his breathing was harsh and loud. Eventually, Ludwig looked at his watch and saw that it was two in the morning. Reluctantly, he stood up, not wanting to leave Feliciano but knowing that he needed his own sleep just as much, particularly as he now had only four hours before he had to get up for work. As he left the room, he let his hand brush comfortingly against Feliciano's hot cheek, just to soften the hard fact of his departure.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello, dear readers! I'm sorry that there was no update yesterday but I didn't get a chance to find a Wi-Fi point. To compensate, here are two new chapters instead of one. **

…..

That night, Ludwig hardly slept at all. He found that his mind kept coming back to Feliciano, asleep in the next room. Every time he pictured his face, the now-familiar surge of confusing feelings flooded back to him: a weird mixture of protectiveness, happiness, an unwillingness to lose him, all topped off with affection for him and all his little quirks. Ludwig found that he liked being called 'Ludi', that he didn't mind clearing up all the mess after Feliciano had been cooking, that their trip to the opera together had been the most fun he'd had in a long time. He thought about what it would be like when Feliciano moved out again. He wouldn't get to practise the piano anymore, even though he was getting quite good at it. He wouldn't eat any more pasta and he would go running alone every evening. And he certainly wouldn't see any more operas, or be treated to his own private concerts whenever Feliciano was practising. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost six o'clock. In a minute, he'd have to get up, but first he had a call to make.

'Morning, bro. What's up?' Gilbert's sleepy voice was much quieter than usual, which made Ludwig smile. His brother, a postman, had to get up at five-thirty every morning, although he insisted that it would just be until the band took off. 'Gil, I need your advice on something. Seriously, I don't want you to laugh. It's about Feliciano. I think I might really be getting to like him.' Gilbert was silent for a minute. 'Well, bro, only you can decide what you do and…' He broke off suddenly. 'Shhh, Mattie, I know it's early but my bro has some important stuff going on… Anyway, as I was saying, I can't tell you what to do but the really awesome thing to do would be to just tell him you like him and get it over with. Oh, and is he still sick?' Ludwig sighed. 'Thanks for the advice, and yes, he is still sick. I stayed up with him most of the night and he was in a pretty bad way. I just hope the worst is over.' He heard Gilbert saying something to someone in the background. '… Just put a pillow over your head or something. Sorry, bro, Mattie doesn't like me having loud conversations early in the morning, so I'll have to go now. Good luck!' He hung up, leaving Ludwig even less sure of what to do than before. Gilbert had always been good at romance in a way that he never had.

He couldn't help but feel sad at the thought that he might never see Feliciano again after he left but had no idea of how to confess his feelings. If they weren't reciprocated, it would be embarrassing for all concerned, but Ludwig felt curiously unwilling to let Feliciano pass out of his life without ever hearing the truth. He remembered their discussion on love and how Feliciano had firmly believed in love at first sight. They'd known each other for weeks now and he hadn't shown the faintest flicker of interest, so Ludwig had to conclude that Feliciano didn't fancy him. After a moment dwelling on these thoughts, he got up and dressed silently, not wanting to disturb Feliciano. As he left, he peered around the door to make sure everything was in order. Feliciano was still asleep, curled in a tight ball, and seemed to be breathing a little more easily. As though driven by some invisible force, Ludwig went into the room and knelt beside his bed. He would have to tell him, he knew that, but he wouldn't have to tell him while he was awake. 'I love you.' he whispered into the sleeping Italian's ear. He stood up, feeling a wonderful sense of relief as he did so, a great burden having been lifted from his mind.

….

'The 16:28 service is delayed due to signal failure. Please listen for further announcements.' Ludwig looked down at his watch, feeling his irritation increase with every wasted second. 'Don't worry, Ludi,' Feliciano implored him. 'It doesn't matter if we're just a little bit late and there'll be other people in the same situation.' Ludwig sighed wearily. 'I know, I just hate being late for things. I've always been punctual. Anyway, we have two more trains to catch after this one, so it'll cause more problems later on.'

It was Friday afternoon, and they were waiting for a train to take them to the audition. Feliciano was still far from well, pale and weak and bundled up in a thick coat, but he was determined to at least try for the part. Ludwig had gently explained to him that it wouldn't be a big deal if he didn't get picked, that it would be because he was sick, not because of any lack of talent, but Feliciano's capacity for excitement seemed boundless. He turned his eager face to Ludwig. 'I can't wait for my audition! I just hope the train comes soon so I don't have to stay in the cold much longer.' Ludwig raised a hand, quietening him. 'Don't talk too much. Save your voice for the audition. You're still not back to full strength yet.' The rest of the long wait for the train passed in silence.

Once the train had finally arrived, Feliciano huddled in a window seat next to a heater. He read over his application and went through his music folder to make sure he had all the pages in the right order. Ludwig watched him with mild curiosity. Feliciano's professionalism in musical matters never ceased to amaze him when viewed against his usual childishness. He tried to ignore the rush of what he now knew to be love. Giving into his emotions wouldn't do either of them any good, he knew that. The journey passed by far too slowly, the disembodied voice periodically declaring how sorry the company was for the delay as Ludwig checked his watch every three seconds to see how late they were. He jumped up the moment the train pulled into the station, prompting Feliciano to do the same, and together they ran to the platform where they were to catch their connecting train.

They got off their third train an hour later than expected and immediately rushed over to the opera house. Feliciano knew exactly where to go, striding down narrow streets and turning at crossroads without hesitation. Ludwig vaguely knew the way to the opera house but the back door through which auditionees were expected to enter was a long way off from the grand colonnaded front where spectators went in on performance nights. He allowed himself a look at his watch, and then straightaway wished he hadn't. The auditions were scheduled to have finished several minutes previously. Nevertheless, he said nothing to Feliciano, hoping that he was right and that there were others who had been caught up in the train chaos. Feliciano himself seemed unworried. He had heeded Ludwig's advice to keep quiet, only speaking when necessary and spending most of the train journey absorbed in his sheet music. He had admitted before they left that he wasn't sure he could remember every last note but now seemed to have recovered his spirits and was skipping a few paces ahead of Ludwig. They turned down one last alley and Feliciano halted suddenly. 'This is it,' he said, careful to keep his voice low.

He pushed the heavy door open and gestured for Ludwig to follow. They went through a narrow corridor that seemed to go on for ages, eventually opening out into a small but high-ceilinged room. It contained nothing but a grand piano and a small desk strewn with paper. Behind the desk was sitting a young man whom Ludwig recognised from the programme as being Roderich Edelstein. He looked up as they entered, a severe frown creasing his youthful face. 'If you're here for the audition, you're too late,' he said in a slightly nasal voice. Feliciano looked as if he was about to cry. 'But… The trains were really delayed and we tried our best to get here. I moved here all the way from Italy just so I could audition here and I was really sick all this week. I shouldn't even be going out and Ludi here tried to stop me but I said I just had to come. I couldn't go back home without trying.' Ludwig put a comforting arm around his shoulder. 'It's ok. We talked about this, remember? There's always next year.'

Roderich sighed, but his expression had softened slightly and he looked as though he might be on the verge of acquiescing. He took off his glasses and rubbed them against his shirt cuff with small, practised circular motions, apparently considering. At last, he said, 'Well, since I'm still here I suppose it would be absurd to send you away, not to mention bad manners. However, the accompanist has already left and I can't possibly listen to you and play at the same time, so you'll have to go a cappella.' Feliciano was unconcerned. 'Ludi here can play for me.' He looked at Ludwig, who suddenly felt terrified as he remembered the last time he had played in public. It had been the thing to make him give up music lessons.

'_And the next item in our spring concert will be a Mozart piano sonata, played by Ludwig Beilschmidt in Year 5.' Ludwig stepped out on stage, clutching his music book in trembling hands. He was nine years old, dressed in a perfectly ironed school uniform and horribly nervous. He glanced quickly at the audience, trying to spot Gilbert and his parents, who had come to watch, but couldn't quite catch sight of them. He sat down on the piano stool and, at the teacher's prompting, began to play. _

_It was an unmitigated disaster. The notes on the page seemed to rear up and fly at him, bombarding him with inky dots. He forgot what the dynamics meant, slowed down when he should have sped up and didn't repeat the passage he was supposed to. When his ordeal finally came to an end, there was only a smattering of polite applause, some people wearing expressions of pity for this poor, humiliated boy. If he had looked up as he scuttled off the stage, he would have seen his family already leaving, unwilling to stay and have to listen to other people's more talented children. There and then, he vowed never to play the piano ever again. _

He had kept that vow until a timid opera singer had asked him to accompany him. He swallowed, remembering what it had been like afterwards, his parents trying to pretend that it didn't matter, that they weren't disappointed. Now, perhaps, would be his chance to prove to himself that he could perform, that he could conquer his one remaining fear. 'Yes,' he said, although his voice was a fraction less certain than usual, 'I'll play for you.' Feliciano beamed widely, relief plain on his features. 'I'll need your application form.' Roderich said to him. 'I'll say your name when I start the recording, then you can begin when you're ready.' He gave a slight smile. 'Good luck.' Feliciano handed over the form, then he and Ludwig got into position. Roderich pressed a button on a small black device that appeared to be the recorder. 'Feliciano Vargas.' he said in clipped tones. Ludwig realised that he had never heard Feliciano's surname before, but then reminded himself to focus on the music. He looked over at Feliciano, who nodded slightly although he seemed nervous. He hadn't practised for days, and neither he nor Ludwig knew what sort of sound would come out of his mouth. At this prompting, Ludwig began playing.

He didn't make a single mistake, pouring every ounce of his repressed love into the music. Feliciano came in three bars later, sounding just as perfect as always. Together, they produced a glorious sound, each completely attuned to the part of the other. The aria started loud and impassioned, then became quiet and intimate, then built up and fell away again. As the climactic ending grew nearer, Ludwig felt a dim feeling of nervousness permeate the little bubble that he and Feliciano had created. The ending had always caused the singer trouble. He could never quite reach up to the top note and when he could, he couldn't hold it on for so much as half the necessary length. When the last note came, however, Feliciano stepped up to the mark. He hit the note absolutely dead-on, without his voice cracking even the slightest bit, and kept it going for what felt like several minutes until the final dying away right at the end.

The end of the aria brought Ludwig swiftly back to his senses. He looked up nervously, to see Roderich's reaction. The man had been listening to auditions all day and knew a lot more about music than Ludwig did, meaning that he would be far more difficult to impress. He seemed to be almost in a sort of trance and Ludwig watched as he blinked several times and sat up a little straighter. 'Thank you…' he tailed off as he looked down at his notes. 'Feliciano. That was excellent. If you're successful, we'll call you on Monday. Goodbye.' Taking this as a signal to leave, Feliciano went over to the piano and picked up all his music, putting it back in his folder and then he and Ludwig went out, following Roderich, who was also leaving. As they walked along the corridor, Ludwig could sense that Feliciano was bursting to say something, but wanted to wait until the two of them were on their own.

Sure enough, once they were outside, all the tension seemed to go out of Feliciano's body. 'Ludi, that was so amazing! I was so scared that my voice was sound bad, but it was fine. And your playing was even better than usual!' Ludwig felt himself smiling just as widely. 'You were incredible. The end was absolutely perfect. The whole thing was perfect. If you don't get that part, it'll be a disgrace.' Unexpectedly, Feliciano reached up and hugged him. 'Thank you for playing for me,' he said. 'You helped me remember when to be quiet and when to be loud.' Ludwig was pleased at the compliment, but suddenly noticed that they were just standing in the middle of the street. 'Come on,' he said, starting to walk. 'If the trains were anything like they were earlier, we'll be lucky to get home before nine.'


	6. Chapter 6

'Feliciano, stop worrying. It's only four o'clock. They probably haven't even made their decision yet.' It was Monday afternoon and Ludwig's patience was severely frayed from three days trying to reassure an extremely nervous Italian that yes, the audition had gone very well and no, it wouldn't matter that they had been late. Nevertheless, now that the day had come, Ludwig felt a faint tingle of anticipation, tempered by his more practical side which reminded him that there had been many other equally talented young singers going for the part.

Feliciano had spent the whole weekend drifting around the flat and setting himself unnecessarily on edge. He had tried cooking, going for walks, going to a museum… Nothing had served to distract him from his thoughts of getting the part for more than an instant, and so the time had passed tortuously slowly. Monday, however, was flying by, each passing hour reducing the chances of him getting a call. Feliciano had not let his phone out of grabbing distance for the whole day and was not going to relinquish it now, holding it to his chest as if he thought the mildly irritated Ludwig would take it from him. Feliciano had promised to text if he got the call while Ludwig was at work and when nothing came through all day, Ludwig felt the disappointment almost as keenly as Feliciano did.

An hour or so later, Ludwig was reading in the living room when he heard a great commotion from Feliciano's room – about a second of his ringtone, a loud squeal, a clatter as he picked up the phone and then his eager voice. Ludwig looked up, his book forgotten, and strained his ears, trying to pick up on the conversation. The call lasted several minutes and as soon as it was over, Ludwig heard Feliciano's feet hurrying along the hallway and into the room. He burst in, flinging the door open. 'Ludi! Ludi! I got it! I got the part!' Ludwig jumped up, just as happy as Feliciano was. 'That's amazing! I can't believe it!' Feliciano couldn't stand still, his excitement overflowing. 'Mr Edelstein said that there were more than 50 other people going for it but he said he knew I was the one as soon as he heard me. He said I was the best singer he'd heard in a long time!' Ludwig smiled broadly. Only Feliciano could say something like that and sound excited, rather than bigheaded. An idea came to him. 'Hey, Feliciano, you like my brother, don't you?' Feliciano nodded enthusiastically. 'Yeah, he's really cool.' Ludwig rolled his eyes. 'No he's not. But how about I call him and ask him to come around tonight? I think we need to celebrate.' Feliciano's eyes widened. 'That would be the best thing ever!' he squealed, then hugged Ludwig tightly. Ludwig felt suddenly sad as he thought of the whispered confession of love that he would never have the courage to say aloud.

Ludwig heard the visitors long before Gilbert had actually knocked on the door. He had decided to turn the evening into a party and had brought along Francis and Antonio, his bandmates, along with his boyfriend Matthew and Francis's boyfriend Arthur. As he went to answer the door, Ludwig silently said goodbye to the quiet celebration he had hoped for. The five newcomers spilled inside the moment the door was open, carrying on their loud conversations from outside. 'I do know about wine actually, you frog… I brought tomato juice so we can make cocktails… Kesesese! Hey bro, I hear we have some pretty awesome success to celebrate tonight!' This last was from Gilbert, who immediately went over to Feliciano, who looked rather taken aback by the crowd, and high-fived him. 'That was awesome, buddy! You go!' The others vocally agreed, then followed through to the living room.

Once the party was in full swing, Gilbert pulled Ludwig to one side. Ludwig sighed, knowing what his brother would ask him before he had even opened his mouth. 'Have you told him yet?' he whispered, leaning in close so that Feliciano wouldn't hear. 'I haven't, not properly, no. And I don't think I will, either. He hasn't shown any interest in me and he's so… open that I think he would have by now if he did like me. If I tell him, it'll just ruin our friendship.' Gilbert shrugged. He didn't really have anything to say to that. Ludwig looked around the room, blushing slightly from the awkwardness of having admitted everything to his brother as Gilbert walked off to join Francis. Ludwig saw that Feliciano was engaged in a heated conversation with Antonio about the best way to cook tomatoes, Gilbert and Francis had turned on the radio and were loudly singing along to the latest track and Matthew and Arthur were sitting on the couch, each wearing identical 'my boyfriend is an idiot' expressions. Ludwig sighed. There didn't really seem to be a place for him in any of the groups. He had never much enjoyed parties anyway.

He was brought out of this mood by Feliciano, who came up to him and eagerly seized his arm. 'Hey Ludi, the others want to hear me sing, so could you play for me like you did yesterday?' Ludwig smiled, relieved to have a use at last. 'I'd love to play,' he said, with more than his usual warmth. Gilbert, who had overheard, joined the conversation. 'Hey bro, I just realised something,' he said with rare seriousness. 'When I listened to the song the other day, that was the first time you'd played the piano since we were kids, wasn't it?' Feliciano looked confused. 'Ludi? You didn't tell me you'd stopped playing. Why did you?' Ludwig really didn't want to go into details, so he kept the story short. 'When I was nine, I performed in a school concert but it went really badly. I was so embarrassed that I gave up lessons and promised I'd never play again. The reason I was so bad when I first played for you was because I hadn't done it for years.' Feliciano gasped. 'Wow, Ludi, I didn't realise you were being so brave when you were playing for me! That's amazing! Now it's time to show everyone here how good you are.' Ludwig laughed slightly, something he rarely did. 'They'll be listening to you, not me,' he said.

They took up their familiar places at the keyboard while the others clustered around, excited to hear what Gilbert had grandiloquently described as 'an exclusive preview performance by one of the brightest rising stars.' At Feliciano's nod, Ludwig began to play the introduction, trying to ignore the audience which provoked his residual nervousness about performing. He felt a swell of pride and love as Feliciano sang. His voice had the same beauty as always, but now it seemed imbued with an extra strength and conviction that came from the validation of his talent, from being chosen for the lead role. He sang the words of love like he truly knew what it was like, as though the words were his own, spontaneous instead of meticulously rehearsed. Ludwig, who had heard the song several times every day for almost a month, was amazed anew at the sound of it. When it was over, the others burst into applause, making Feliciano blush, then a babble rose as they all tried to offer compliments at once. 'That was incredible,' said Arthur earnestly, 'ignore whatever Francis has to say. The frog always thinks that French opera is best.' Francis laughed. 'Oh, _mon petit _Arthur, I too thought that our little star here was wonderful, Italian or not!' Antonio was almost speechless. 'I would trade all my tomatoes to have a voice like yours!' he eventually managed to say. Matthew came up once all the others had quietened down and shyly congratulated him. The whole time, Ludwig kept a bright smile on his face. He felt far happier for Feliciano than he ever had for himself.

…..

Feliciano's first rehearsal was that Wednesday and Ludwig had suggested that they meet up afterwards to explore the city, since Feliciano only really knew the area with all the theatres. Ludwig was now standing at the corner where they had agreed to meet ten minutes before. He looked at his watch and shook his head. Feliciano really had some punctuality problem. After another ten minutes, he saw the small figure of the redhead approaching at some considerable speed. 'What kept you?' he asked as soon as Feliciano had arrived and recovered some of his breath. 'I'm sorry, Ludi,' he said contritely. 'I got lost and I had to ask three different people for directions.' Ludwig belatedly realised that he had been too harsh. 'It's ok. I was just worried that you wouldn't be able to find the place. So, how was your rehearsal?' Feliciano launched into a breathless account of absolutely everything he had done, repeating verbatim almost every word that 'Mr Edelstein' had said, including jokes that meant nothing to Ludwig due to his lack of knowledge about Baroque opera, or indeed music in general.

They walked for a long time, Ludwig occasionally pointing out places of interest. 'That's the oldest hotel in the whole city… That's the oldest bank… That's a really good bookshop…' Feliciano took in every word, asking questions and commenting on things that interested him. Eventually, after about two hours, the light began to fade and he complained about being hungry. Ludwig could have gone on for ages, but he gave in to Feliciano's pleading and promised that they could eat soon, as long as it wasn't pizza or pasta. After a little more walking, they happened upon a small, cosy-looking Chinese restaurant. 'Do you want to eat here?' Ludwig asked. Feliciano nodded. 'Ok. It looks nice, and I'm starving! You know, Mr Edelstein says that a whole day of singing uses as much energy as a whole day of sport!' Ludwig raised an eyebrow. 'It may use energy, but it doesn't built strength or stamina.' He pushed the door open, and Feliciano followed him in,

They were shown to their table by a waiter with a Russian accent who was even taller than Ludwig and who had accessorised his uniform with a long scarf. Feliciano seized a menu and straightaway began poring over it. 'Ooh, the satay chicken looks nice. I think I'll have that with lots of noodles! What about you, Ludi?' Ludwig realised with a start that he hadn't even glanced at his menu yet, since he had been too preoccupied with the thought that the evening felt uncomfortably like a date. 'I don't know. Umm… I think I'll have the same as you but no noodles.' He closed his menu and the waiter came over. Ludwig ordered while Feliciano looked out of the window, seemingly fascinated by every single thing that went by outside. The waiter disappeared into the kitchen and emerged a couple of minutes later, grimacing and rubbing his ear. Feliciano, whom Ludwig found to have an annoying tendency to poke his nose into things, piped up. 'Are you ok? Your ear looks sore.' The waiter laughed. 'It is, but that's what you get when someone hits you with a wok.' On seeing Feliciano's horrified face, he clarified. 'I deserved it, really. Yao's still angry that I forgot our anniversary, even though it was three days ago.' Feliciano laughed, then, once the waiter moved on, said, 'If I got married, I'd never forget things like anniversaries.'

Once their food arrived, Feliciano broached the awkward subject of paying. Ludwig dutifully insisted on covering the whole cost, but Feliciano wanted to treat him. 'You've been so kind to me, Ludi. You played the piano for me even though you were really nervous. You came to the opera with me so I wouldn't be lonely. You stayed up with me all night when I was sick. I just have to pay; it wouldn't be fair otherwise.' Ludwig felt uncomfortable with the sudden effusion of praise but let Feliciano have his way, since it obviously meant so much to him. A little way into the meal, Feliciano made another attempt to start a conversation. 'You know, Ludi, I had some really weird dreams when I was sick.' Ludwig decided to humour him. 'Really? What sort of dreams.' he asked, since Feliciano was obviously desperate to tell him. 'Well, there was one where I was made of pasta and people were trying to eat me, then there was one where I was a little kid again and sweeping the floors in a big house. The funny thing is that I was wearing a dress. And there was this other one too. This might be a bit awkward, Ludi, but in one of my dreams you said you loved me.'

Ludwig almost choked on his mouthful. He had thought that Feliciano was asleep, would never have said it otherwise. He blushed deeply, feeling his usual composure crumble 'Umm… Feliciano… I – That wasn't a dream. I really said that. I really do love you.' he managed to say, staring down at the floor. If Gilbert could see him, he thought, he would be laughing. 'Ludi,' Feliciano began. At the sound of his voice, Ludwig unwillingly looked up, cursing himself for saying anything. Why couldn't he just have nodded and smiled and agreed that it really was a very weird dream?'

'Ludi,' Feliciano said again, with a little more conviction. 'I love you too, but I didn't think you'd be interested in me. You like exercising and running and stuff and I like music and getting tubby from too much pasta.' Ludwig couldn't help but laugh. 'There's so much more to you than that,' he said, taking Feliciano's small hand. 'Although it is a big part. You're always so… happy. I don't think I've ever seen you in a bad mood. You get upset but never angry. You make me smile all the time, and you put me in a good mood. Just ask Gilbert – he'll tell you that that hardly ever happens' Feliciano beamed. 'Well, you make me understand that I have to do exercise if I want to eat pasta every day. And running with you has made me fit!' Ludwig laughed indulgently. 'You only came once, and you nearly passed out when you did. I wouldn't call that fit!'

They spent the rest of the meal in a joyful haze, smiling madly at each other during the rare moments when they weren't talking. Ludwig felt his walls coming down, the walls that had protected him from getting tangled up in emotions for so long. When they finished, they walked back through the darkening streets that led to the train station. During the walk, Feliciano unexpectedly said. 'Ludi, have you ever kissed anyone before?' Ludwig blushed slightly. 'No, never.' Feliciano frowned slightly, looking worried. 'I haven't either. How will we know what to do?' Ludwig stroked his cheek. 'I'm sure we'll figure it out,' he said reassuringly. Feliciano glanced quickly up and down the street. It was empty and silent – they were the only people there. 'Hey Ludi,' he said softly. 'There's no-one else around. Do you want to try now? That way, it doesn't matter if we get it wrong.' Ludwig was surprised, though not displeased, by the suggestion. 'Ok,' he said, 'but I'm warning you, I'll probably make a mistake.' As it happened, their inexperience hardly mattered. They shared their first kiss in a dark city street, under a street lamp that only illuminated the tiny circle in which they stood. When they broke apart, Feliciano looked like he had tears in his eyes.

'Ludi, that was so amazing!' he said as they resumed walking. 'And I want to tell you a secret now,' he added. 'What's that?' Ludwig asked him, reaching for his hand. He had never felt so perfectly happy in all his life. 'When I was singing at the audition,' Feliciano said. 'I was thinking of you. That's why it sounded so sincere – because it was!' Ludwig was flattered. 'Well,' he replied teasingly. 'That's the same reason why my playing sounded so good.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: This is the last chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed the story. Thank you all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing – it makes it all worthwhile!**

…

'Ludi, Ludi, do you have any glittery pens?' Feliciano called out. It was a week before the first performance and his brother was coming from Rome to watch. Feliciano was currently engaged in making a colourful sign to welcome him at the airport. On hearing his request, Ludwig came into the room. 'Feli, why would I have glittery pens? You should have bought some on your way home.' Feliciano's face fell. A bit of glitter would have been the crowning glory of his poster. At the sight of his disappointed expression, Ludwig kissed his cheek, enjoying the contact that he had spent so long wishing for. 'Your sign looks really good anyway. Besides, glitter would just make a mess on the table and we both know that I would end up having to clean it up. Lovino will just be happy that you went to all this trouble.' Ludwig looked at his watch. 'Speaking of which, we should be leaving now if we want to get the early train.'

An hour or so later, they were standing under the arrivals sign at the airport, Feliciano eagerly holding his sign. A mechanical voice came over the loudspeaker: 'The 14:36 flight from Rome has now landed.' it announced. Feliciano gripped Ludwig's hand and smiled up at him. 'I can't wait for you to meet Lovino!' he said. 'And I've really missed him too. I haven't seen him in months.' Ludwig ruffled his hair, amused at his excitement, which never seemed to go away completely. 'Well, he won't be through for a few minutes. Do you want to have a look around the shops here while you wait?' Feliciano shook his head. 'No way! It's more exciting the longer you wait!' Ludwig shrugged and left him draped over the barrier, still clutching the sign. He returned a few minutes later with a football magazine to find him in the exact same position, his anticipatory grin not vanished or even diminished. When the first few tired businesspeople began to come through, Feliciano stood up straight and held his poster up high, saying to Ludwig, 'When he comes, I'll have the two people I love most in the world with me!' Ludwig laughed at this and gave him a quick hug, then began to scan the crowd, wondering if Feliciano's brother would look anything like him.

'Lovi! Lovi!' Feliciano ran forward to fling his arms around his brother, who immediately tried to extricate himself from the embrace. Seeing them together, Ludwig noted a slight physical resemblance between the siblings and also noticed that Lovino also had a curl that stuck out, although it was on the opposite side of his head from Feliciano's. Feliciano led him over to meet Ludwig, chattering brightly in Italian as he did so. 'Hello, I'm Ludwig. I suppose Feliciano has told you about me,' Ludwig said, extending his hand. Lovino did not shake it and instead addressed an angry question to Feliciano, whose smile promptly faded to be replaced by a worried look. Although he didn't understand what was being said, Ludwig noticed that Lovino's voice was quite a bit deeper than Feliciano's and had a rough edge to it, although that may have been because whatever he was saying seemed to be unpleasant. Feliciano meekly answered the question, then gestured towards Lovino's bag. 'We should leave now,' he said to Ludwig. 'Lovi's really tired. He's had a long journey.'

Ludwig nodded, although he suspected that Lovino's rudeness was motivated by something more than simple tiredness. As they walked out, with Lovino trailing sulkily behind, he tried to take Feliciano's hand but was resisted. He was taken aback. Feliciano had never previously objected to any show of affection. 'What's wrong?' he asked. Feliciano bit his lip, looking slightly nervous. 'I'll tell you later,' he said eventually, casting a wary glance over his shoulder at his brother. The journey home was profoundly awkward. Lovino sat with his arms folded, occasionally speaking bad-temperedly to Feliciano and studiously ignoring Ludwig the whole time. This taciturnity continued all the way to the flat, where he was finally forced to break his vow of silence when Ludwig asked him a direct question. 'Lovino, you're going to be sharing with Feliciano in his room. Is that alright, or would you prefer to be in the living room?' Lovino scowled. 'I'll go with him.' he said contemptuously, then said something to Feliciano and went into the room to unpack.

When he had gone, Ludwig turned to Feliciano, a burning question on his lips. 'So why didn't you want to hold my hand earlier? Was it because of your brother? I have a feeling he doesn't like me very much.' Feliciano nodded slowly. 'Yes it was. But please don't be angry with him, Ludi. He's just very protective of me because he doesn't want me to get hurt. He didn't know you'd be there, so it was a shock for him.' For the first time, Ludwig found himself becoming annoyed with Feliciano. 'Why didn't you tell him about me? No wonder he was angry. No wonder he didn't trust me, if the first he hears of me is when I turn up at the airport with you.' Feliciano looked upset, and Ludwig cursed himself for allowing himself to become angry. He sighed and drew his sleeve slowly across his face, trying to gather his thoughts. 'I'm sorry Feli. I didn't mean to be rude. But do you understand that you should have said something to Lovino before he arrived?' Feliciano smiled, figuring that he was forgiven. 'I understand, Ludi. I was going to tell him, I just didn't know how. I'll talk to him and make him be a bit nicer to you.' Ludwig held him tightly, to confirm that everything was ok between them again, then bent to kiss him. They were interrupted in the middle of it by a gasp from the doorway. Lovino had seen them, and not been pleased by the sight.

During dinner that evening, Feliciano did his best to facilitate conversation but his efforts went unrewarded. Lovino replied to Ludwig's questions about his work in monosyllables or not at all and continued to speak sharply to Feliciano in Italian. Ludwig was fairly sure that he was the cause of Lovino's irritation. When the meal ended, Feliciano cleared the table and took the plates through to the kitchen, leaving Ludwig and Lovino alone. 'You stole my brother,' were the first words Lovino addressed to him. 'He needs me, not you.' Ludwig spotted the root of the problem straightaway. Jealousy, that was it. Lovino felt like he was being replaced, like he was no longer required. 'I didn't steal him from you. You don't own him and neither do I. Feliciano is capable of making his own decisions and that's exactly what he's done. He cares about you just as much as he did before.' Lovino's scowl deepened. There was nothing he could say in response to Ludwig's judicious speech so he stood up and left the room, making sure to slam the door. Ludwig sighed to himself. Things were going to get tense, and he really didn't want Feliciano to be getting stressed so soon before the performance.

….

The atmosphere in the flat was one of nervous excitement. It was the first night of the show and Feliciano's band of supporters had converged on Ludwig's to get ready: the Bad Friends Trio were in attendance, along with Matthew and Arthur. Lovino was holding himself aloof from the rowdy group but Antonio, the only single one of the trio, was trying to flirt with him, albeit with limited success. Ludwig tried to ignore their babble as he got ready in his room but he could still pick out words of their noisy conversations, even through the closed door. 'Francis, I told you to shave before we went out – you look homeless... Aww, Mattie, you've got a maple syrup stain on your shirt… Hey, Lovi, do you like tomatoes?'

Having dressed completely, Ludwig paused for a moment before delving into the back of his wardrobe and retrieving the second iron cross necklace. He turned it over in his hands, looking at it from every angle as his grandfather's words came back to him: _You can only give it away once, so choose wisely. _Was Feliciano his true love? He couldn't imagine anyone else always being able to make him smile, always overflowing with infectious joy, always happy to be alive. But, Ludwig realised, Feliciano was also his first love. Was there a chance that he might meet someone else later on, someone who provoked even deeper feelings? Ludwig was always prudent, but now thinking all this through was reducing the significance of the gesture. He wished he could be more like Feliciano, acting on romantic impulses. Perhaps, he thought to himself as he pocketed the necklace, it would all come with time.

A few minutes later, the diverse group left the flat to walk to the station. The two couples were holding hands and Antonio was still trying to interest Lovino, while Ludwig walked behind to make sure order was kept. The others chatted the whole way there but Ludwig was lost in his own thoughts. Feliciano had been so nervous when he'd said goodbye to him that morning. 'This is the start of everything,' he'd said. 'This is my debut, my only chance to make a mark.' He was had been far more serious than usual and not even Ludwig's heartfelt reassurances had helped to brighten the mood. He hoped with all his heart that Feliciano's fears were unfounded and that everything would go perfectly.

….

As the curtain rose, the audience fell silent, excited eyes trained on the stage. Ludwig strained to read his programme as the lights were dimmed. He was still no great lover of opera, despite Feliciano's sustained efforts to convert him and since Feliciano did not appear until the third scene, there was nothing to interest him until then. The overture began and Arthur and Francis leaned forwards, enthralled. Gilbert faked a yawn and sighed, while Antonio was finally forced to stop whispering to Lovino. Their connection with Feliciano had got them one of the best boxes and Ludwig peered down at the neat rows of seats from his lofty vantage point. Tino was down there somewhere, along with Berwald, and Ludwig occupied himself during the first two scenes with trying to spot them.

When he heard the trumpet blast that signalled the arrival of Feliciano's character, he immediately turned his full attention to the stage. There he was, instantly recognisable even in full wig, costume and makeup. Ludwig felt his heart soar as the Italian opened his mouth and delivered his first, ringing line, addressed to the love interest. _I find a diamond, hidden among fools' gold. What brings you here, madame? _He had had no reason to be nervous. The voice that swelled from his slender body was both sweet and powerful, every word perfectly enunciated. After a short recitative, he launched into a duet with the young woman. According to the programme, she was Hungarian, but Ludwig wasn't even going to try pronouncing her name. Instead, he focused on the music. He knew that Feliciano's love for the woman was an act but it was so well done that Ludwig felt almost jealous watching the two of them.

The last aria of the second act, just before the interval, gave Ludwig cause for concern. It was very dramatic and was sung by Feliciano's character, mourning the rumoured death of his lover, although she would later reappear. Feliciano had found it horrendously difficult to sing and had been reduced to tears a few times. Ludwig had had to comfort him by making him pasta and promising that it would all go well on the night. And it did. Ludwig watched Feliciano walk to the middle of the stage, throwing his arms up in despair. _Love, love, why do you taunt me with your memory? Go from here, you are not wanted. You bring me only misery, now that she is gone. _He sang with true passion, voice shaking with emotion but not wavering during the technically difficult passages, every part of his body working to produce the sound. Ludwig was surprised to find tears starting in his eyes and stole a quick glance at the others in the box to see what effect the aria was having on them. Matthew was crying silently, resting his head on Gilbert's shoulder. Francis was stroking Arthur's hair and they both looked sad. Antonio was putting on an exaggerated display of emotion in the hope that Lovino would notice him. Ludwig smiled to himself, realising that it took an incredible talent to have such a profound effect on people.

The big moment came at last, the final aria that Ludwig knew so well. It was the joyous reunion between Feliciano and his lover, when they found that neither of them was really dead. Ludwig found himself reciting the words silently as the song went on. He felt a great surge of love and pride for Feliciano down on the stage, living his dream. He thought of how recently it had seemed an impossibility, when a sore throat had threatened to put an end to Feliciano's musical ambitions. Now, watching him, he could hardly believe his luck, that they had chanced to find each other and fall in love. It was nothing short of miraculous. The iron cross lay heavy in his pocket and he closed his hand around it, warming the metal. The last note sounded, its glorious sound transcending all description as it vibrated all through the auditorium. The orchestra gave its final flourish and the curtain fell, giving rise to rapturous applause. Ludwig looked down and his eyes widened. People were getting to their feet. His beloved Feliciano was getting a standing ovation on his first performance.

As soon as people began to leave, Ludwig made his way to the backstage area. He had, of course, arranged for flowers to be delivered to the star of the show but now he had a far more personal gift to bestow. Roderich, flushed with the success of the performance, led him to Feliciano's dressing room. He paused just outside and said to Ludwig, 'He has a truly unique talent. I can't believe I almost sent you two away. If I had and he'd turned up at that other theatre… My God, I'd never have forgiven myself!' Ludwig smiled, acknowledging the compliment, then walked inside. Feliciano was sitting at a mirror, still in his costume, taking all his heavy stage makeup off with a sponge. He jumped up as soon as he saw Ludwig and flew into his arms. 'Ludi, this was the best night of my life! I was so scared but it went so well! Did you think it was good?' Ludwig laughed softly. 'Do you really need to ask that question? It was the best thing I've ever heard! You made us all cry.' Feliciano beamed. 'Thank you Ludi! Oh, and I almost forgot, your flowers are beautiful.'

Ludwig swallowed, trying to calm his nerves. Now was the time to give him his present. 'Feli,' he began, his throat suddenly very dry. 'That's not the only gift I have for you.' 'Oh?' Feliciano cocked his head, wondering what it could possibly be. 'When I was very young,' Ludwig continued. 'My grandfather gave me something very special. He gave me two iron cross necklaces. One was for me to wear all the time – you've seen it – but the other was for me to give away. He told me to give it to my true love. And that, my love, is why I'm giving it to you.' He produced the necklace from his pocket. Feliciano gasped. 'Ludi! Is that really for me? Are you sure?' Ludwig nodded slowly. 'I'm absolutely certain.' he said, with more conviction than he had ever felt. Feliciano buried himself tighter in the embrace with a cry of pure joy. Ludwig put the necklace around his neck, where it clashed with the bright costume. Feliciano lifted it and looked at it in wonder, then up at Ludwig. 'Oh, Ludi,' he said, just before their lips met, 'My muse, my inspiration, my one true love.'


End file.
